Children’s Museum and UW-Fond du Lac Team Up for Wisconsin Science Festival

Posted on: Oct 2nd, 2014

Science and discovery are on display October 16–19 in Fond du Lac during the state-wide annual Wisconsin Science Festival. Science seekers, both young and experienced, will have the opportunity to look, listen, feel, touch, ask questions and discover the wonders of science.

 
“Over the years, the Children’s Museum has been fortunate to collaborate with UW-Fond du Lac, local experts and science enthusiasts, to celebrate creativity and scientific discovery with audiences of all ages,” Katie Bey, program development manager for the Children’s Museum stated. “The museum is privileged to have the support of experienced chemist Thomas Gnewuch who has advanced our efforts to incorporate science learning during WisSciFest and throughout the year.”

 
The WisSciFest is the passion of scientists, artists, citizens and organizations dedicated to engaging everyone in the wonder and power of science, technology, engineering, art and math. Science festivals not only celebrate curiosity and creativity, they also build a community of people who find joy in exploring the unknown and appreciate the enterprise of science.

 
“Science shouldn’t be a word that’s feared,” said Dr. Michael Jurmu, professor of geography-geology at UW-Fond du Lac. “Most science can easily be explained using demonstrations and simple concepts. The goal of the WisSciFest weekend is to incorporate fun into the learning process. Working together with the Children’s Museum the past few years, we have been able to expose visitors to an array of science learning in both laboratory and real-life settings.”

 
Fond du Lac area programming during the Wisconsin Science Festival begins at the Children’s Museum of Fond du Lac (75 W. Scott Street) on Thursday, October 16 and Friday, October 17 with field trip opportunities for fourth or fifth grade school groups to discover the origins of how engines evolved during a 25-30 minute workshop followed by a guided tour of the Mercury Museum. Students also will have time to explore, play and learn throughout the Children’s Museum. Pre-registration is required; interested class teachers should contact the museum at (920) 929-0707 to make a reservation.

CMFDL visiting family members participate in WisSciFest 2013

 
The festival continues Saturday, October 18 from 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at UW-Fond du Lac (400 University Drive) for Scientific Saturday. Because of the high traffic of previous WisSciFest events held at the campus, Dr. Jurmu, Dr. David Demezas and Dr. Carey Woodward have all assisted in the planning several exciting hands-on activities rooted in Biology, Physics, Astronomy, Geology, and Environmental Science. The Science Festival event at UW-Fond du Lac on October 18th is FREE.

 
Enjoy more science at the Children’s Museum of Fond du Lac on Sunday, October 19 from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. with a special program, The Mystery of Motors. The 25 minute Mystery of Motors work-shop for children and families is included with the $6 per person price of general admission or Children’s Museum Membership, an optional $1 per person tour of the Mercury Museum, depicting 75 years of engine design and excellence, is also available. Science enrichment for this day is supported by volunteer students from Marian University.

For more information, contact the Children’s Museum of Fond du Lac at info@cmfdl.org or call (920) 929-0707.

 
The Wisconsin Science Festival, developed in Madison, WI, has grown to more than 20 communities across the state. For more information about other opportunities October 16-19, visit www.WiSciFest.org.